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 BALDI

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BALDOVINETTI

Bakitric's most valuable work is his "HistoriiP HierosoljTiiitaniE libri IV", an account of the First Crusade, based in part on the testimony of eye- witnesses, and submitted for correction to the Abbot Peter of Maillesais, who had accompanied the Crusaders. Among his other works are poems on the conquest of England and on the reign of Philip I; lives, in Latin, of his friend Robertus de Ar- brissello (pubhshed by the BoUandists under 2.5 Feb.), of St. Valerian (pubUshed by Bouquet, Hist. Eccl. de France), and of St. Hugh of Rouen (pubhshed by Du Monstier. '' Neustria Pia"); finally a letter to the monks of Fecamp which contains some valua- ble material relating to Breton manners, and to Eng- lish and Norman monasteries (Duchesne and Bou- quet. Historiens de France).

Histoire litteraire dela France, Ylll, 400; MoLINIER, jSourcc« de I'hiAt. de France.

3. V. Crowne.

Baldi, Bern.^rdino, an Itahan poet and savant, b. at I'rbino, 5 June, 1553; d. at the same place, 10 October, 1617. After being initiated into higher mathematics by his fellow-townsman Commandino, he went to Padua (1573) and Rome (1576), where he managed to acquire a wide erudition, scientific, classical, and Oriental; Chaldaic, Arabic, and Persian were among the languages he learned. Having sub- sequently taken orders, he was made Abbot of Guastalla (Mantua) by Prince Ferrante Gonzaga. In spite of many wanderings, entailing long-protracted absences, he retained the abbacy xmtil 16t)9, when his native city claimed him for the rest of his life. Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini, the nephew of Clem- ent VIII, and Francesco Maria della Revere, Duke of Urbino, were proud of his friendship. The latter entrusted him with an embassy to Venice in 1612.

Baldi 's poetic laurels were mainly earned by "La Nautica", a didactic poem closely foUomng the "Georgics" in finely polished blank verse (1576). To tliis were added nineteen "Egloghe miste" (1583), " L'invenzione del bossolo de navigare", miscellaneous short poems (1590), and the "Epigrammi" (1614). An attempt at introducing fourteen and eighteen syllable hues in "Lauro" (1600) and "II Diluvio Universale" (1604), met with utter failure. In addi- tion to his Latin poems and several polyglot com- pilations, we have: "Cento Apologhi" (1583), some dialogues, a well-known "Descrizione del palazzo ilucale d'Urbino" (1587), the biographies of Fed- erico, second Duke, and Guidobaldo I, of Urbino, a curious biographical work on Italian and foreign mathematicians (Urbino, 1707), two Latin treatises on Vitruvius, numerous letters and translations from the Targum Onkelos, the Arabic Psalms, Aratus, MusEEUS, Hero of Alexandria, Aristotle, etc. The imconstrained elegance of his diction gives him a foremost rank as a prose-WTiter. A standard edition of his best writings is that of Ugolini and Polidori (Florence, 1859).

P. Ireneo Arro, YUa di Bernardino Baldi {Parma, 17S3); Z\rcAGNiNi. La Vita e le opere edite ed inedite di Bernardino Baldi CParma. 1903). As to the source.'* of La Nautica. see Z^CCAGNINI. Giomale storico della letteratura Italiana (1902), XL, 366-396; as to the Egloghe. Rcbf.rto. Propugnatore, XX. Edo.\rdo S.\n Giov.vnxi.

Baldi, Bernardo. See Bernard of P.\^^A.

Baldinucci, Axthoxy, Blessed, b. 19 June, 1665, at Florence; d. 6 November, 1717. He entered the Society of Jesus 21 April, 1681, and was ordained priest 28 October, 1695. After his third year of probation he began his missionarj- career at Monte Santo. The field of his labours were the towns of Frascati and Viterbo, in which, with the exception of some more distant places, he laboured for the rest of his life. His methods of preaching ^were of the most unusual and startling character. Splendid processions were organized which proceeded from

various parts of the countrj' to the place where the mission was being given. Many of the people wore cro\\Tis of thorns and scourged themsehes as they went along. When Balchnucci preached he fre- quently carried a cross, and was loaded down mth hea\-j- chains. He often walked up and down among the people scourging himself to blood. The exercises were usually brought to a close by the burning in the public square of cards, dice, musical instruments, etc. He always carried with him a miraculous picture of the Madonna which was borne before him as he proceeded from place to place. The propaga- tion of devotion to the Blessed Virgin wa.- one of his special aims. To keep order among the vast throngs who Hocked to hear him, he always employed a number of laymen whom he called deputati. They were not unfrequently men of \ery bad lives whom he chose purposely in order to conciliate and con- vert them. His work among the clergj' was marked by great prudence and success. Though his preach- ing was incessant, he found time to write two courses of Lenten Sermons, to gather materials for many ■ more, compose hundreds of chscourses, and carry on an immense correspondence. The effect of his apostolic work on the excitable people among whom he laboured was stupendous. At times, when ap- proaching a city, he found crowds covering the walls awaiting his arrival. His peculiar methods are ex- plainable as those best adapted to his surroundings and times. After twenty years of labour he died at the age of fifty-two. He was already canonized in public estimation, but, although the official eccle- siastical process was begim in 1753, the decree of his beatification was issued only on 2.3 April, 1893.

GoLDIE. Life of B. Anthony Baldinucci (London. 1894); Vanccci, Viia del Beato A. Baldinucci (Rome. 1893); Gautzzi, Life of Baldinucci (Rome. 1720); Bvdrioli. Summarium (Florence); Bartholomew Pace, S.J. (Baldinucci's com- panion). Evidence, Sermon, p. 116.

T. J. C.tMPBELI..

Baldovinetti, Alesso, a notable Florentine painter, b. in Florence, 14 October, 1427; d. there, 29 August, 1499. His father was a wealthy merchant, but leaving the paternal business he registered him- self, at the age of twenty-one, as a member of the .\cademy of Saint Luke. " He caUed himself a pupil of Paolo T'ccelli, and, according to Vasari, was the master of the famous Ghirlandajo. He experimented much with colours in fresco and oil, but his remaining works are badly preserved. He had the reputation of being the ablest worker in mosaic of his day.

Baldovinetti asssisted Andrea del Castagno and Domenico Veneziano in the frescoes, since destroyed, of Santa Maria Nuova in Florence. Among his works which remain is a large fresco of "The Adora- tion of the Shepherds" in the cloisters of Santa Annunziata. His was the design for the portrait of Dante by Domenico del Michelino in the duomo. The large panel painting of "The Holy Trinity Adored by Saints Gualberto and Benedetto", now in the Academy at Florence, was executed for the church of Santa Trinita in that city. He painted on the walls of the choir of that edifice scenes, not now extant, from the Old Testament, containing numerous portraits of his contemporaries. In the chapel of San Miniato, Florence, are frescoes of angels, prophets, and evangelists. The same edifice also contains an "Annunciation". In the galleries of the Uffizi are an "Enthroned Virgin and Child with Saints", and a most decorative and quaintly graceful "Annunciation". His portrait by himself is in the gallery at Bergamo and Ghirlandajo painted it near his own in his frescoes in Santa Maria Novella, Florence.

PlEROTTl. Ricordi di A. Baldovinetti (Lucca, 1868); Brvan, Dictionary of Painters and Engravers (London and New York. 1903-05). , „

Augustus Vax Cleef.